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Gladiator

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Top tier

Gladiator Beast

BeatdownMedium

How it wins

Attacks with Gladiator Beasts that swap themselves for a new one from the Deck after battle, so each attack also brings a new effect. Heraklinos then negates their Spells and Traps.

Key cards

  • Gladiator Beast Bestiari
  • Test Tiger
  • Gladiator Beast Heraklinos

Tip

Test Tiger can be Tributed to shuffle a Gladiator Beast back into the Deck and summon another one, so you can tag out without attacking.

Top tier

DAD Return

Graveyard comboHard

How it wins

Fills the graveyard with DARK monsters using Destiny Draw and Allure of Darkness, summons Dark Armed Dragon to clear the field, then brings banished monsters back for the last hit.

Key cards

  • Dark Armed Dragon
  • Destiny Draw
  • Return from the Different Dimension

Tip

Dark Armed Dragon needs exactly three DARK monsters in your graveyard. Count them before you banish one to Allure of Darkness.

Top tier

DAD Turbo

TurboMedium

How it wins

Puts DARK monsters in the graveyard as fast as it can, then summons Dark Armed Dragon to destroy their cards and attacks. Caius and Solemn Judgment keep the way clear.

Key cards

  • Armageddon Knight
  • Dark Armed Dragon
  • Caius the Shadow Monarch

Tip

Armageddon Knight sends a DARK monster from the Deck to the graveyard: Destiny HERO - Malicious there can bring out the next copy later.

Top tier

Lightsworn

GraveyardMedium

How it wins

Sends cards from your Deck to the graveyard every turn. Lumina brings Lightsworn back, Wulf summons itself, and Judgment Dragon destroys everything else on the field.

Key cards

  • Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
  • Solar Recharge
  • Judgment Dragon

Tip

Count the Lightsworn with different names in your graveyard. At four, Judgment Dragon can be Special Summoned from your hand.

Top tier

Soul Control

ControlMedium

How it wins

Shuts off Special Summons with Royal Oppression, takes their monster as a Tribute with Soul Exchange for a Monarch, and wins on cards with Thestalos and Reckless Greed.

Key cards

  • Royal Oppression
  • Soul Exchange
  • Caius the Shadow Monarch

Tip

Soul Exchange lets you Tribute an opponent's monster, but you skip your Battle Phase that turn. Use it when removing their monster matters most.

Rogue

Hero Beat

BeatdownEasy

How it wins

Attacks with big monsters every turn. Skill Drain turns off their monster effects, and the traps remove anything that tries to stop the attacks.

Key cards

  • Elemental HERO Neos Alius
  • Skill Drain
  • Hero Blast

Tip

Skill Drain stops your own monster effects too. Play it when your field is Neos Alius and Cyber Dragon, which need no effects to win fights.

Rogue

Perfect Circle Monarch

ControlMedium

How it wins

Tribute Summons a Monarch nearly every turn, and each one removes a card when summoned. Free Tributes come from tokens, Treeborn Frog and Cyber Valley.

Key cards

  • Caius the Shadow Monarch
  • Cyber Valley
  • Treeborn Frog

Tip

Fires of Doomsday makes two tokens that can be Tributed for a DARK monster: one Caius now and a token left for the next one.

Rogue

Gadget

ToolboxEasy

How it wins

Plays a Gadget every turn, each one adding the next one to the hand, and wins on card advantage with removal and a wall of traps.

Key cards

  • Green Gadget
  • Red Gadget
  • Yellow Gadget

Tip

Green adds Red, Red adds Yellow, Yellow adds Green. Summon them in that loop and every Normal Summon replaces itself.

Rogue

Counter Fairy

Counter trapsHard

How it wins

Negates what the opponent plays with Counter Traps, draws extra cards with Bountiful Artemis, and summons Van'Dalgyon for free to finish the duel.

Key cards

  • Bountiful Artemis
  • Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord
  • Divine Wrath

Tip

Keep Van'Dalgyon in your hand: when your Counter Trap negates an opponent's card, you can Special Summon it for free.

Fun

Machine OTK

OTKHard

How it wins

Fills the graveyard with Machines, then Overload Fusion banishes them for one big Chimeratech Overdragon that attacks once per Machine used. Limiter Removal doubles its ATK.

Key cards

  • Overload Fusion
  • Cyber Dragon
  • Limiter Removal

Tip

Chimeratech Overdragon needs Cyber Dragon plus any Machines. Each extra Machine adds 800 ATK and one more attack.

Fun

Phantom Turbo

Graveyard comboHard

How it wins

Discards big DARK monsters early, then brings them back with The Dark Creator and Dark Armed Dragon. Phantom of Chaos copies the effect of the best one in the graveyard.

Key cards

  • The Dark Creator
  • Dark Armed Dragon
  • Trade-In

Tip

Trade-In discards a Level 8 to draw two. The Dark Creator and Dark Magician of Chaos are Level 8 and do more from the graveyard anyway.

Fun

Ocean Control

ControlMedium

How it wins

Gets HERO value every turn with Ocean and Emergency Call, stalls attacks with Gravity Bind and Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, and wins slowly on cards.

Key cards

  • Elemental HERO Ocean
  • E - Emergency Call
  • Skyscraper 2 - Hero City

Tip

Elemental HERO Wildheart is not affected by Trap Cards, so your own Gravity Bind never stops it from attacking.

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